In order to remove a severe blockage of a coronary artery, an open heart surgery may be performed by splitting the sternum and forcing the chest cavity open to access the heart of a patient. Due to the trauma that may be created to the patient as a result of splitting the sternum and opening the chest cavity, there is a need in the art for systems and methods for performing minimally invasive heart surgeries. In a minimally invasive heart surgery, the surgical instruments may be inserted into a patient's body through small incisions on the chest. As a result, the trauma and prolonged recovery of an open heart surgery may be avoided.
In order to perform a coronary procedure without stopping the heart, the heart needs to be stabilized. A heart stabilizer is utilized during the procedure to limit the movements of the heart at the surgical site. In a minimally invasive heart surgery, the heart stabilizer needs to be capable of being inserted through a small incision and it needs to have the required maneuverability within the chest cavity of a patient. Consequently, there is a need in the art for a heart stabilizer that may be used in a minimally invasive heart surgery.